Pizzeria Paradiso Still Just That

Pizzeria Paradiso has been a favorite of mine for many years. But I haven’t written about it until now, which just isn’t right. The restaurant has consistently delivered for years, and I’m giving it its due tonight.  Maybe the news the restaurant is moving a few doors down P Street to a larger space was the catalyst I needed.  I will miss the old location a bit though:

http://www.eatyourpizza.com/

It’s so far above average pizza a new term should be coined. Everything else is high quality as well. Gabriele and I like the panzanella (seasoned diced vegetables) over bread or salad as an appetizer. For us the two best pizzas are the Atomica and the Bosco. The Atomica is tomato, black olive, salami, pepper flakes and mozzarella. The Bosco is tomato, mushroom, spinach, red onion and mozzarella, and then Gabe adds pepperoni. Absolutely fantastic.

We tend to drink Barberas when we go to PP, rather than Chianti. We’ve ordered the 2006 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti in the past. It’s a good Barbera, with a light body and very dry and tart. It’s a bit sharp and is definitely a food wine. PP sells it for $31, and I think it retails for around $15.

Recently we ordered another Barbera, and it was a clearly better wine. The 2005 Coppo Barbera d’Asti Camp du Rouss was a very enjoyable bottle. It had medium body and a deep aroma. There was very nice fruit with a taste of cherries and a certain smokiness. It was a little pricey at $47 but worth it, I think the retail is around $18-19.

The only down sides are finding a place to park, and long lines at times. But maybe the new, larger location will help with the latter. If you haven’t tried DC’s best pizza, get there soon.

2 Amy’s for the Win

Last night Gabriele and I had dinner at 2 Amy’s. It’s a well known place in NW Washington but one neither of us had been to previously. We’re big Pizzeria Paradiso fans and that’s where we head when in the mood for top notch pizza.

We still are, but 2 Amy’s is excellent as well. It’s larger, and was really hopping last night well past 10:00 PM. The theme is high level Neapolitan, and the place delivers. One very cool feature is meat hanging off the wall of the bar, under the heading “Serenity Now.” (Forgot to ask waiter to explain/confirm the Seinfeld reference). You can just order some slices from the bartender. Prosciutto, capicola, pork loin, salami, even boar! All sorts of cheeses as well.

Gabe had a goat cheese crostini, and I started with buffalo mozzarella and anchovies. Both our pizzas were great, mine had salami, cheese and black olive and Gabe’s was mostly prosciutto, mushroom and arugula.  Not quite as good as Paradiso, but very close.

The wine we had was a Cataldi Madonna, Montepulciano 2005. It was tasty, not too fruity and went well with the food. Should only be around $12-15 in stores if you want a decent, middle of the road Italian red.

But the food and the atmosphere were the stars last night. Too bright and loud for an intimate dinner, otherwise you won’t be disappointed.